1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a glove construction particularly adapted to protect the hands and fingers of workers in the oil and natural gas extraction industries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Workers in the oil and gas extraction industry often handle large pipes and heavy tools, such as steel wrenches. These items are typically handled in the presence of mud, crude oil, lubricating fluids such as a mixture of diesel fuel and mud, and other natural and synthetic lubricants. These lubricants assist in drilling for and extracting petrochemical compounds. The difficulty of gripping pipes and tools in the presence of such lubricants creates a working environment susceptible to impacts occurring to the dorsal, or back, side of the hand. These impacts have historically resulted in a large number of hand injuries to workers. The injuries are typically expressed as simple or hairline fractures to the following group of bones: metacarpals, proximal phalanges, intermediate phalanges, are distal phalanges; injuries can also occur to the distal interphalangeal joints, the proximal interpalangeal joints and the metacarpophalangeal joints.
Gloves typically used in oil and gas extraction are common knit gloves with raised polymer dots on the palm side. Although these gloves provide a grip function, they have a short lifespan and lack protection from dorsal impacts.
Recently, several companies have developed fitted gloves for sport or work with molded polymer rubber elements on the dorsal side. These gloves, however, are not optimized for impact protection to selected bones and joints. Further, the gloves are not optimized for impact protection to the entire nail bed of the fingernails.
Sport gloves for goalies in the sports of soccer, lacrosse and hockey have dorsal hand protection provided by segmented thick foam padding on the dorsal side of the glove. However, the gloves are not optimized for the dexterity required by oil and gas extraction workers and have no protection for the hand joints noted above. The foam padding does not taper at the distal phalanges and is not designed to protect against sharp blows from metal objects. Fitted gloves for sport or work consist of one or more molded plastic or carbon fiber elements located over the metacarpophalangeal joints but do not protect other hand joints or substantial protection of the above-listed bones.
What is desired is to provide a glove for use in the oil industry and natural gas extraction industries which protects the back portion of the worker's hand while maintaining a high level of hand dexterity.